Marc Anthony performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

George Sichler, from the Brooklyn borough of New York., dives into a pile of foam for a photograph along Super Bowl Blvd in Manhattan, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, in New York. The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will face off Sunday in Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, NJ.Matt York
/ AP

One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, rises over downtown Manhattan as seen from the window of a Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Blackhawk helicopter ahead of Super Bowl XLVIII on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Helicopters flown by “air interdiction agents” from the CBP’s Office of Air and Marine (OAM), are providing air support for Super Bowl XLVIII between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.John Moore
/ Getty Images

The Empire State Building glows green for the Seattle Seahawks and orange for the Denver Broncos on January 31, 2014 as seen from the Top of the Rock in Midtown, Manhattan in New York City. The spire of One World Trade Center (R), was also lit up for the teams ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.John Moore
/ Getty Images

This image released by Starpix shows Mary J. Blige performing at the Shape Magazine and Men’s Fitness Super Bowl Party at Cipriani 42nd Street on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, in New York.Dave Allocca
/ AP

Mary J. Blige performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

Seattle Seahawks fans wait to cross the street in Times Square as Broadway has temporarily been re-named Super Bowl Boulevard as the city prepares for Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Thousands of tourists have descended on Manhattan to soak up the pre game atmosphere which includes a toboggan ride, autograph booths and a penalty kick cage. Security is tight throughout the city with thousands of officers patrolling on foot and in vehicles.Win McNamee
/ Getty Images

People slide down the toboggan ride as football fans gather along Broadway in Times Square which has temporarily been re-named Super Bowl Boulevard as the city prepares for Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Thousands of tourists have descended on Manhattan to soak up the pre game atmosphere which includes a toboggan ride, autograph booths and a penalty kick cage. Security is tight throughout the city with thousands of officers patrolling on foot and in vehicles.Win McNamee
/ Getty Images

Denver Broncos fans pose for photos with members of the NYPD in Times Square as Broadway has temporarily been re-named Super Bowl Boulevard as the city prepares for Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Thousands of tourists have descended on Manhattan to soak up the pre game atmosphere which includes a toboggan ride, autograph booths and a penalty kick cage. Security is tight throughout the city with thousands of officers patrolling on foot and in vehicles.Win McNamee
/ Getty Images

John Legend performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

The Empire State Building glows green for the Seattle Seahawks and orange for the Denver Broncos on January 31, 2014 as seen from the Top of the Rock in Midtown, Manhattan in New York City. The spire of One World Trade Center (R), was also lit up for the teams ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII game at MetLife Stadium.John Moore
/ Getty Images

Marc Anthony performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

Seattle Seahawks fans have threir photo taken behind a team uniform in Times Square as Broadway has temporarily been re-named Super Bowl Boulevard as the city prepares for Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Thousands of tourists have descended on Manhattan to soak up the pre game atmosphere which includes a toboggan ride, autograph booths and a penalty kick cage. Security is tight throughout the city with thousands of officers patrolling on foot and in vehicles.Win McNamee
/ Getty Images

Mary J. Blige attends the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

Marc Anthony performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

John Legend performs at the Super Bowl XLVIII Party Hosted By Shape And Men’s Fitness at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 31, 2014 in New York City.Mireya Acierto
/ Getty Images

Seattle Seahawks fans have threir photo taken behind a team uniform in Times Square as Broadway has temporarily been re-named Super Bowl Boulevard as the city prepares for Sunday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks on January 31, 2014 in New York City. Thousands of tourists have descended on Manhattan to soak up the pre game atmosphere which includes a toboggan ride, autograph booths and a penalty kick cage. Security is tight throughout the city with thousands of officers patrolling on foot and in vehicles.Win McNamee
/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — Mary J. Blige, John Legend and Marc Anthony kicked off Super Bowl weekend in style by serenading a celebrity-filled crowd in Manhattan.

Hundreds of New Yorkers and visitors packed into Cipriani’s 42nd Street on Friday night for a party sponsored by Shape and Men’s Fitness magazines. Tickets cost $2,500 per person.

Blige opened the show and had many in the crowd ignoring their dinner by the end of her energetic set, which included hits like “I’m Goin’ Down,” “Good Woman Down” and an impassioned rendition of “No More Drama” that brought the crowd to its feet.

Serenading a swanky Manhattan crowd, Legend said he never thought he’d see the day a Super Bowl came to New York City.

Then he corrected himself: “More accurately, New Jersey.” With that, he launched into a song by one of New Jersey’s favourite sons Bruce Springsteen: “Dancing in the Dark.”

Guests — who included supermodel Petra Nemcova, TV hosts Stephen Colbert, Katie Couric and Gayle King, and film producer Harvey Weinstein — were served lobster, strip loin and branzino. The theme being fitness, dinner also included offerings of kale smoothies and nonalcoholic shots made with lemon and ginger.

A charity auction during the dinner brought in hefty sums, including $8,000 for a dinner for six at Rao’s, a New York restaurant that’s notoriously difficult to get into, and $4,000 for a Movado sports watch.

Beneficiaries included the Happy Hearts Fund, which Nemcova introduced and which rebuilds schools and helps children after natural disasters. The three performers each chose a charity to receive funds: Legend chose the Show Me Campaign, which works to give children access to quality education; Blige chose the Mary J. Blige Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc.; and Anthony chose Maestro Cares, which works with orphaned children in Latin America.

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